Waste costs set to rise in Hepburn Shire

Hepburn Shire ratepayers are set to be slugged an additional nine dollars as part of the council’s waste management charge in 2017/18, bringing the overall cost to $118 for all properties.

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The charge, which focuses on the maintenance of the shire’s transfer stations which are located in Creswick, Trentham and Daylesford, will be increased by 8.3 per cent across the 2017/18 financial year if the element of the proposed budget is accepted.

In a report prepared for Tuesday night’s council meeting, Hepburn Shire finance and information technology manager Trafford Thompson said the increase “is a result of capital works required to comply with a pollution abatement notice issued by the Environmental Protection Authority for the closed Creswick landfill site”.

Creswick Ward councillor Don Henderson said the EPA had reassessed the former landfill site off Anne Street about six months ago and had ordered extra works be undertaken.

The cost of the works will be at least $450,000.

“Regulations have changed over the years and there’s more stringent requirements on landfill sites these days,” Cr Henderson said. “They’ve deemed it to be still active so it will need a new clay cap with a different thickness.”

Existing weekly kerbside collection services are recommend to increase by 1.6 per cent, while new fortnightly kerbside collection costs will rise by 1.9 per cent.

Meanwhile fortnightly recycling kerbside collection costs are due to rise by 2.2 per cent, while businesses will be forced to wear a 3.6 per cent increase in the commercial garbage charge.

Rates across the shire are also expected to rise by two per cent, the maximum increase allowed under the state government’s rate capping policy which was introduced in 2016.

Following Tuesday’s meeting the proposed budget will be put on public notice, where ratepayers will have 28 days to make submissions. The budget will then go back before council on June 20 before being submitted to the minister on June 30.